Bowling glove



May 1, 1962 R. COMPIANO 3,031,680

BOWLING GLOVE Filed Dec. 7, 1959 KAKA l,

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Horp-y United States Patent O 3,031,680 BOWLING GLOVE Roy Compiano, 4210Fleur Drive, Des Moines, Iowa Filed Dec.. 7, 1959, Ser. No. 857,673 10Claims. (Cl. 2-159) This invention is a continuation-in-part of myapplication on a bowling glove, filed February 13, 1959, Serial Number793,098, and now abandoned, and relates to a game glove, and moreparticularly to a glove to be worn during bowling.

Originally bowling balls had only two holes, i.e., one for a thumb holdand one for a linger hold. With only the two holes, the diameter of thebowling ball substantially lits the hand and palm of the average user.Present bowling balls have three holes, one for a thumb and two for twofingers. The diameter of the ball, however, remained standard. Theaverage hand just does not successfully conform to the curvature of thepresent ball. In particular, with the thumb and two fingers in place inthe holes, the left side heel portion o-f the hand is considerably aboveand out of contact with the ball surface. Obviously, under suchconditions the ball is difficult to manually control.

Therefore, one of the principal objects of my invention is to provide aglove that gives complete successful contact with and to the surface ofa bowling ball.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bowling glove of highflexibility.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bowling glove thatprovides better manual ball control,

A still further object of this invention is to provide a builtup glovefor bowling that relieves excessive thumb pressure on the ball.

Still further objects of my invention are to provide a bowling glovethat is economical in manufacture, durable in use, and refined inappearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangements, andcombination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objectscontemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth,specifically pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a palm view of my glove on the hand of a user,

FIG. 2 is a back view of my glove on the hand of the user,

FIG. 3 is a reduced perspective view of my glove, illustrating itsposition between the hand of the user and the bowling ball,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional View of the pad portion of theglove taken on line 4-4 of FIG. l, and more fully illustrates itsconstruction, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of the elastic portion of one of thefinger stalls of the glove and is taken on line 5 5 of FIG. 2.

In these drawings I have used the numeral to generally designate thehand and wrist of a user of my glove. The numeral 11 designates anordinary bowling ball. My glove has a back side 12 and a front or palmside 13. The back portion is open at 15. The finger portions of theglove are all half lengths so that the fingers will extend therefrom asshown in FIG. 2. The glove may or may not have a thumb portion. Imposedin the back side 12 of the glove and at each side and forward of theopen portion 15 is a resilient flexible section 16, as shown in FIG. 2.This liexibie resilient portion may be of ordinary resilient elasticmaterial. The elasticity of the portion 16 is transversely that of thelongitudinal length of the glove. It is highly desirable that the glovehave good iiexibility at the wrist area and the numeral 17 designateselastic stitching extending in a zigzag path across the front wristportion of the glove, as shown in FIG. l. The opening 1S permits easyaccess of the hand into the glove. After the glove has been installed onthe hand of the user, the wrist portion of the glove is secured togetherby any suitable means. In the drawings I show a tab 19 and snap button2i). It is also highly desirable that the finger stall portions 21 ofthe glove have a certain amount of flexibility and elasticity, Toaccomplish this, on the inner side of the glove finger portions I haveinserted a exible resilient section 22, as shown in FIG. 5. Theseportions 22 may be of suitable elastic cloth, and their elasticityextends transversely of the longitudinal length of the fingers of theuser of the glove. The most important feature of the glove, however, isthe treatment of the palm or front side. As herebefore indicated, theleft side and heel or fleshy part of the palm of the hand is normallysome distance from the curved surface of the ball. It is at thislocation of the glove when in the hand that I provide a wedge build-upwhich I have designated by the numeral 23. This wedge 23 is pie-shapedas shown in FIG. l in that its rear marginal edge, designated by thenumeral 25, is curved or arcuate. Its forward edge 26 and its side edge27 are relatively straight. As shown in FIG. l, the straight front edge26 and straight edge 27 meet at the area of the glove that is directlyto the rear of the root of the glove between the -forefinger portion andthe middle finger portion. rIhe rear circular portion 25 of the wedgeextends from a point rear of the little finger portion of the glove tonear the center base of the thumb portion. By this construction theforward straight edge 26 and the side straight edge 27 formsubstantially a right angle as shown in FIG. l. The wedge portiondecreases in thickness as it extends both forwardly toward the frontedge 26 and laterally as it extends toward the straight edge 27. Thus,the thickest portion. of the wedge is near the center length of thecurved edge portion 25. By this construction the wedge as to thicknessvanishes as it approaches the straight forward edge 26 and the sidestraight edge 27. When the glove is on the hand of a user, this wedgebuilt up portion will be at the heel portion of the hand, as shown inFIG. 3, and therefore will automatically fill the space normallyexisting between the heel of the palm of the hand and the bowling ball.The wedge may be held in place on the front of the glove by any suitablemeans. In the drawings I show the wedge held by a leather or like case29 sewed to the face of the glove. This wedge may be of any suitablematerial but I recommend that it have at least some flexibility andresiliency such as foam rubber, felt, rubber, and also some plastics aresatisfactory. When in use, the hand with the wedge build-up willsuccessfully conform with and to the curvature of the bowling ball. Dueto the increased control of the ball, it has been found that both:amateurs and professional bowlers immediately improve their game by theuse of my glove.

To further increase the flexibility of the glove, and also to permit airto freely pass in o-r outof any space between the inside of the gloveand the inside palm of the hand of the user, I have provided a pluralityof holes 30 in the palm portion of the glove. These holes 30 areadjacent the straight forward edge 26 of the wedge portion and thestraight side edge 27 of the wedge portion. The length of the forwardstraight edge 26 of the wedge pad is substantially that of the combinedWidths of the linger portions of the little nger, ring finger and middlefinger. This length of the front straight edge 26 of the pad issubstantially that of the length of its side straight edge portion 27.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of mybowling glove without departing from the real spirit and purpose of myinvention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modiedforms of structure or use of mechaniml equivalents which may bereasonably included within their scope.

l claim:

1. In a bowling glove, a glove having a palm portion, a back portion, awrist portion and fingers and thumb arcas, anda wedge portion on thepalm portion of said glove; said wedge portion having a substantiallystraight `front edge, a substantially straight side edge extendinglongitudinally of the glove adjacent the thumb area or" said glove, andextending substantially perpendicularly from the inner end of said frontedge, and a rear curved edge extending from the outer end of said frontedge to the rear end of said side edge; said wedge portion decreasing inthickness as it extends from said rear edge toward its front and sideedges.

2. In a bowling glove, a glove having a palm portion, a back portion, awrist portion and fingers and thumb areas, a exible resilient section inthe back portion of said glove, and a wedge portion on the palm portionof said glove; said wedge portion having a substantially straight frontedge, a substantially straight side edge extending longitudinally of thelglove adjacent the thumb area of said glove, and extendingsubstantially perpendicularly from the inner end of said front edge, anda rear curved edge extending from the outer end of said front edge tothe rear end of said side edge; said wedge portion decreasing inthickness as it extends from said rear edge toward its front and sideedges.

3. In a bowling glove, a glove having a palm portion, a back portion, awrist portion and fingers and thumb areas, an elastic section in theback portion of said glove having resiliency only in a directiontransversely of the longitudinal axis of said glove, and a wedge portionon the palm portion of said glove; said wedge portion having asubstantially straight front edge, a substantially straight side edgeextending longitudinally of the glove adjacent the thumb area .of saidglove, and extending substantially perpendicularly from the inner end ofsaid front edge, and a rear curved edge extending from the outer end ofsaid front edge to the rear end of said side edge; said wedge portiondecreasing in thickness as it extends from said rear edge toward itsfront and side edges.

4. In a bowling glove, a glove having a palm portion, a back portion, awrist portion and ngers and thumb areas, and a wedge portion on the palmportion of said glove; said wedge portion having a substantiallystraight front edge, a substantially straight side edge extendinglongitudinally ofthe glove adjacent the thumb area of said glove, andextending substantially perpendicularly from the inner end of said frontedge, and a rear edge extending from the outer end of said front edge tothe rear end of said side edge; said wedge portion decreasing inthickness as it extends from said rear edge toward its front and sideedges.

5. In a bowling glove, a glove having a palm portion, a back portion, aWrist portion and lingers and thumb areas, and a flexible resilientwedge portion on the palm portion of said glove; said wedge portionhaving a substantially straight front edge, a substantially straightside edge extending longitudinally of the glove adjacent the thumb areaof said glove, and extending substantially perpendicularly from theinner end of said front edge, and a rear curved edge extending from theouter end of said front edge to the rear end of said side edge; saidwedge portion decreasing in thickness as it extends from said rear edgetoward its front and side edges.

6. In a bowling glove, a glove having a palm portion,

a back portion, a wrist portion and fingers and thumb areas, and a wedgeportion ogn the palm portion of said glove and covering substantiallythe entire central area of the palm portion of said glove; s aid wedgeportion having a substantially straight front edge, a substantiallystraight side edge extending longitudinally of the glove adjacent thethumb area ot said glove, and extending substantially perpendicularlyfrom the inner end of said front edge, and a rear curved edge extendingfrom the outer end of said front edge to the rear end of said side edge;said wedge portion decreasing in thickness as it extends from said rearedge toward its front and side edges.

7. In a bowling glove, a glove having a palm portion, a back portion, awrist portion and fingers and thumb areas, and a wedge portion on thepalm portion of said glove; said wedge portion having a substantiallystraight front edge, a substantially straight side edge extendinglongitudinally of the glove adjacent the thumb area of said glove, andextending substantially perpendicularly from the inner end of said frontedge, and a rear edge extending from the outer end of said front edge tothe rear end of said side edge; said wedge decreasing in widthsubstantially uniformly as it progresses forwardly and inwardly towardthe juncture of said front and side edges.

8. In a bowling glove, a glove having a palm portion, a back portion, awrist portion and partial finger portions and a thumb area, an elasticsection in each of said finger portions having a resiliency only indirections transverse of the longitudinal axis of said glove, and awedge portion on the palm portion of said glove; said wedge portionhaving a substantially straight front edge, a substantially straightside edge extending longitudinally ofthe glove adjacent the thumb areaof said glove, and extending substantially perpendicularly from theinner end of said front edge, and a rear curved edge extending from theouter end of said front edge to the rear end of said side edge; saidwedge portion decreasing in thickness as it ex tends from said rear edgetoward its front and side edges.

9. in a bowling glove, a glove having a palm portion, a back portion, awrist portion and partial linger portions and a thumb area, an elasticsection in each of said nger portions having a resiliency only indirections transverse of the longitudinal axis of said glove, aresilient means at the wrist portion of said glove, and a wedge portionon the palm portion of said glove; said wedge portion having asubstantially straight front edge, a sub stantially straight side edgeextending longitudinally of the glove adjacent the thumb area of saidglove, and extending substantially perpendicularly from the inner end ofsaid front edge, and a rear curved edge extending from the outer end ofsaid front edge to the rear end of said side edge; said wedge portiondecreasing in thickness as it extends from said rear edge toward itsfront and side edges.

10. -In a bowling glove, a glove having a palm portion, a back portion,a wrist portion and fingers and thumb areas, and a wedge portion on thepalm portion of said glove; said wedge portion extending to a pointforward of the lateral plane area of the thumb area and extending to apoint closely adjacent the iuger areas of said glove; said wedge portionbeing in the form of a padding decreasing` in thickness as it extendsforwardly.

References Cited in the'iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,258,999 Nunn Oct. 14, 1941 2,309,516 Lindtelt lan. 26, 1943 2,314,545Lindfelt Mar. 23, 1943 2,456,678 Cole Dec. 21, 1948 2,710,970 KennedyJune 21, 1955

